Junior Rangers

Lassen Volcanic National Park

July 2014

 

 

 

The girls became Junior Rangers at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Laurel worked very hard to complete the 7-9 year old program with minimal help. She also helped Kellisa complete her book.

 

(More pictures of the Junior Rangers)

Devastated Area Interpretive Trail

Lassen Volcanic National Park

July 2014

 

 

 

 

 

A few pictures from our hike on the nicely accessible Devastated Area Interpretive Trail.





Lassen Volcanic National Park

California

July 2014

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed two days in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Our days were filled with mountain views, lakeside rambles, gazing into boiling mud pools and even a snowball fight in the middle of July!

 

 

(More Lassen Volcanic Pictures)

Southwest Walk-in

Lassen Volcanic National Park

California

 

July 2014

 

 

 

 

We spent two nights camping at the Southwest Walk-in campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park. The campground is a short walk from the visitor center parking lot with water and restrooms close by. It's almost backcountry camping and a perfect way for us to camp.

 

Pictures from our campsite

States Visited- Laurel

With Arizona and Oregon added in July 2014, Laurel has now visited 26 United States.

 



Denver Zoo

Denver, CO

June 2014

 

 

 

We had a couple of hours before our flight home and a quick search revealed that the Denver Zoo had Laurel's favorite animal on exhibit...the polar bear. We only had time to see the polar bears and the snake house (Kellisa's favorite) along with a few animals that were between the exhibits.

 

A few more Denver Zoo pictures

Estes Park Aerial Tramway

Estes Park, CO

June 2014

 

 

We saw a tram (Estes Park Aerial Tramway). Both girls love tram rides.We rode the tram to the top of a mountain to enjoy the views and a quick snack. It turned cold and rainy. We rode the tram back down. Kind of uneventful by our usual standards.

I would like to add that the tram ride and the mountain top were very accessible. The staff was pleasant and accommodating. However, we found the parking lot to the ticket counter and then back to the parking lot to the disabled entrance to the tram a doable struggle.

A Few More Pictures



Lily Lake Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park

June 2012

 

We loved our hike around the nicely accessible Lily Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park.

  

 

Egypt: Dad, are there any alligators in the lake?

Me: No.

Egypt: Any biting fish?

Me: No.

 

Next came splashing sounds a cute, little mischievous giggles:

 

 

TRAILS

 

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Trail Ridge Road

Rocky Mountain National Park

June 2014

 

 

We drove Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center so the girls could turn in their "homework" and become Junior Park Rangers in Rocky Mountain National Park. Laurel worked very hard on doing her work herself. She completed the 7-9 year old program. We also found time to enjoy some snow in June. Unfortunately, Kellisa was very uncomfortable because her glasses broke and she had a hard time seeing without her prescription sunglasses. She even had a hard time opening her eyes in the sunlight.

 

 

More Pictures of our Trail Ridge Road Adventure

Next Page: Lily Lake Trail

 

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Euro-Bungy

Ride-A-Kart

Estes Park, CO

June 2012

It's all fun until someone has projectile vomit.

More Euro-Bungy Pictures

Next Page: Trail Ridge Road

Previous Page: Bear Lake Accessible Trail

Bear Lake Accessible Trail

Rocky Mountain National Park

June 2014

Trailhead Elevation: 9,475ft.

Distance: .77 mile

Bear Lake Accessible Trail was a nice hike on crushed gravel around a beautiful lake with wonderful views of Longs Peak. The trail had a few elevation changes which provided just a little challenge for pushing a regular wheelchair. The girls enjoyed finding a small snowbank for climbing and snowballs. After our hike, the girls wanted to ride the park's shuttle bus.



TRAILS

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Karen Kain

Continuing our expansion of Kellisa's Path, we've conducted our second interview with someone who's shared a similar path. This time, we talked to leading disabled advocate and author of A Unique Life Fully Lived, Karen Kain:

Read the full interview here

A Unique Life Fully Lived- Review on Kellisa's Path

Crater Lake National Park

August 2009

It's been almost 5 years since we visited Crater Lake National Park and it seems like a lifetime ago. Actually, it has been a lifetime, Laurel's lifetime. This trip happened 14 months before Laurel came into our lives.

Original "Hurrikains" Post w/Pictures

Sprague Lake Accessible Backcountry Campsite

Rocky Mountain National Park

 

June 2014

 

 

 

We traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park to spend two nights at the Sprague Lake Accessible Backcountry Campsite. Fortunately, the park provides an excellent trail to this beautiful campsite to give people with disabilities the opportunity to camp in the backcountry. Unfortunately, the ranger issuing our permit told us that the site is almost never used. You do have to be disabled, so that probably keeps most people from cheating and using this site when the hundreds of other sites in the park are full just about every night during the summer. We had a little bit of everything: freezing nighttime temperatures, 90+ degree afternoons, thunderstorms with high winds and an elk sighting. I would highly recommend this campsite!

 

More Sprague Lake Accessible Backcountry Campsite Pictures

Next Page: Bear Lake Accessible Trail

 

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Letter to the President

After telling Laurel about my Longs Peak story, she was ready to go and climb the biggest mountain. She was very disappointed when I told her that we couldn't. Like everything else, she wanted detailed reasons and a chance to explain why each reason wasn't valid. It went something like this:

Me: We're not prepared today.

Laurel: Yes we are.

Me: There's too much snow on the mountain.

Laurel: I like snow.

Me: We have other plans.

Laurel: I don't want to do anything else.

Me: We can't take Kellisa to the top.

Laurel: Why not?

Me: They don't have a trail to the top where I can push Kellisa.

Laurel was very upset with this last answer. She asked more questions trying to figure out how to make it work with Kellisa. Laurel just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that there was something that Kellisa couldn't do. She kept saying, "it's not fair" as she began to cry. Her love and compassion for Kellisa brought a tear to my eye as well. In an attempt to move past this difficult conversation, I told Laurel that we could come back together sometime to climb a mountain. She asked if Kellisa would come with and I answered, "no". She really started to cry, but then she had an idea.

"I want to write a letter to President Obama to tell him to make a trail to the top for Kellisa". I told her that was a great idea. Laurel wanted to start the letter right then, but I promised her that I would help her write it when we got home. (We got home after 1am and as soon as we walked in the door, she was ready to start her letter.)

I was very proud that Laurel came up with this idea herself (we never talked about writing a letter to the President, so I have no idea where this idea came from) and was more than happy to help her as she wrote the letter. It's her own words, I just helped spell and space the words.

Laurel's letter to President Obama